Turned Upside Down
by telmeastory
Summary: As Life gets flipped on its head, Shaggy finds comfort in an old friend...and maybe more? Forewarning, the intro will be dark and sad.
1. Chapter 1: The Accident

I would like to reiterate that this will be a very sad and depressing start to this story. It will lighten up soon, but bear with me for now!

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

"What now Scoob?"

The tall lean beatnik wasn't quite sure what he was hoping in response from his best pal, but the whimpering as the Great Dane placed his head beneath Shaggy's hand had not been it. The two were dressed in their best suits and Scooby had a bow-tie on. But it was a somber occasion.

Shaggy looked down at the sight before him and felt the tears well up in his eyes. He could hear them coming from Scooby too. It had been a heartbreaking few weeks and this was just the culmination of all their pain.

VXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVX

See, the gang had been out traveling again. They had broken up individually and found success, but the time apart had made them all need to see one another again. So they had gotten in touch and agreed to travel like old times.

There had been some reservations on his and Scoob's part when Fred and Daphne pulled up in the Mystery Machine. The old bucket of bolts had certainly seen better days. The paint was peeling, the engine did not sound good, and the breaks made a very unpleasant squealing sound as Fred stopped. But when the two smiled out the window at he and the dog, they couldn't resist but to jump in the back with Velma.

It was going to be like old times.

And for a while it had been. The old van did break down a time or two, but they were finding mysteries to keep them entertained. Shaggy never could figure out how these things seemed to be following them. But he had learned not to dwell on that long ago.

And he and Scoob had enjoyed things as they fell into an old routine: Find a place, discover a mystery, split up, he and Scooby would find food and inevitably the monster, run for their lives, join in as live bait on one of Fred's crazy traps, and somehow manage to catch the monster.

It was basically what was typically expected from the situations at that point. And their travels had turned into a blog that Velma kept. It was good income, not that any of them needed it. The entire gang had their own wealth hidden away from all of their inheritances from different relatives over the years.

Of course, being in their late 20s meant they still had plenty of time to go out and enjoy life and the blog covered their costs, even with Shaggy and Scooby's insane food bill.

Of course going out and enjoying life is not always the happiest thing.

It had been a dark night. The gang had just finished netting yet another criminal who had been hauled off to jail. Shaggy was thinking about how he and the gang always seemed to arrive and figure these things out before the cops. Made one wonder about the law enforcement in those areas.

So the night had rolled on. After all their running, Shaggy and Scoob had strolled into an all-night diner to enjoy a late night snack. The rest of the gang was going to enjoy a movie and would come back for them before all heading to the hotel rooms they had rented.

Of course sleeping arrangements were different these days. Fred and Daphne were married, so the two shared a room. Velma got her own room as well which then left Shaggy and Scooby to their own devices. Some days they got a room too if the hotel allowed pets. If not, they took a page from their own book and just slept in the mystery machine. Still, the rooms made for a nice change of pace.

Well, the two had just been finishing their meal and heard the gang was on their way. Settling the tab, Shaggy and Scooby had stood and stretched slowly, gaining looks of wonderment from the hostess and cook that the two had eaten so much and looked slim and fit as fiddles. Shaggy grinned a bit at that. It had always been something he took pride on privately.

While the gang had split up, Shaggy had become a chef. He had invested some funds and opened a few incredibly successful restaurants. But of course being around more food and not running from monsters had started to slowly take its toll, so he and Scooby had gotten into a decent workout routine. They were up early each day to run and did some basic weight work a few nights a week. It had become their own fun thing and the two found themselves not only slimming back down but putting on some decent muscle.

So here they were, outside and waiting to see those lights from the mystery machine. That was when it happened.

There had been screeching and Shaggy felt himself watching it in slow motion. He had tried and desperately wanted to rush over, but his feet were rooted to the spot. Time had literally slowed down and there was nothing he could do. He had to watch.

He had to watch as a drunk driver careened into the mystery machine, totaling it. The impact was enough not only to dent but to flip the old brute of a van on its side. Shaggy felt his breath catch. He couldn't move. He couldn't breathe. He was frozen until Scooby nudged him. Then all hell broke loose.

Shaggy ran over screaming. As he came near to the van, he nearly threw up. It was not a pretty sight. As he collapsed, someone called 911. Several vehicles with flashing lights arrived. Shaggy and Scooby were both a mess. It took hours to clear everything up and by then, Shaggy and Scoob were sitting in the hospital outside a room.

Inside were Velma and Daphne, both in comas and attached to machines. Fred had been killed on impact. There were tubes running into them and beeping coming from everywhere. And both Shaggy and the Great Dane found they despised it. But they needed to be there for their friends…just in case.

Of course just in case became less and less hopeful. Velma passed the next morning, her heart giving out.

Which left Daphne. Scooby had dragged a rather pitiful Shaggy in to sit beside her. Shaggy had held her hand and cried. Two days later, things started to look up. Daphne woke up!

…well, just long enough to hear that Fred had died. Her own anguished crying melded with Shaggy's. And Daphne had given up. She died that night.

It had become too much for Shaggy. He had shut down. Well, he shut down his emotions. Somehow, he buried them. He became stone faced as he made arrangements. As he called family members. As he got everyone there. As he set up the ceremony and the burials.

Shaggy took care of it all and everyone wondered what had happened to the man. He seemed stone cold. For the man who had been so scared, it scared everyone to see him like that.

And one person had changed that. Fred and Daphne's daughter, Jasmine. She had been with her grandparents for the summer, visiting the Blakes. She was 4 years old as she walked up to the caskets that Shaggy had been staring at. When her hand found his, Shaggy broke. He felt her small fingers wrap around his hand and he collapsed. He fell to his knees and took the small girl into a giant hug. And the two cried together.

VXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVX

And here they were. The burial and were back inside. There had been a hope to hold more of a wake and celebrate the three, but Shaggy's breakdown and the mood in the room made that incredibly difficult. Shaggy knew his break had made this harder for everyone else, so he had hidden himself in a corner. That was where Scooby had found him. Shaggy was standing there, near the back door and watching the room.

Once he had left, the mood brightened. Family members began to chat. There was some drinking and partying. Enough to make this a celebration. And Shaggy knew he couldn't go back in there and ruin it.

The only person who seemed sad as him was Jasmine, but he knew that being in there would cheer her up. So he turned to leave.

As Shaggy raised his hand to the door, letting one last sob disguised as a sigh out, he knew he needed to run. As Scooby whimpered at him, he smiled to the dog.

"You stay here buddy. I'll be back." Scooby saw the tears in his owner's eyes and just wanted to make it better. But he didn't know how. So he sat on his haunches and watched as Shaggy pushed out of the door into the rain which had begun to fall when everyone went back inside.

As Scooby let out one more small whimper, he felt a paw scratch behind his ears. He looked up to see a familiar face.

"Let him be Scooby. He needs his space. But soon he is going to need friends. And we should be there for him then."

Scooby offered one more look out the door at his down-trodden friend before turning back to the guest.

"Here Scoob, let's go relax a bit." Here Scooby jumped up to follow her back into the room.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

Ok, rough….ROUGH start. I know. But I hope you enjoy.

And I hope you come back to learn more about the friend!


	2. Chapter 2: The Wills

Shaggy woke with his head pounding. He thought back to yesterday and all that had happened. It had been a rough weeks or so, but he was now standing on the other side…or at least he hoped so.

He thought back to having Jasmin Jones grab his hand and how that had broken his own dam. He hadn't been able to take anymore. And he had run. Everyone else deserved to mourn in their own way, not influenced by his pain.

So he had run out into the rain. He had not cared what happened to his suit and clothes. He had just run. As far and as fast as his legs would carry him. Finally about an hour later, Shaggy found himself standing just outside of the graveyard. It was not at all where he had expected to be. He wasn't even sure it was where he wanted to be. But his feet had brought him there.

So Shaggy had stumbled forward, step after frustrating step, until he was standing in front of the three graves. Each one was there. He could almost feel them staring at him. And it made Shaggy think back over the past few years. The gang had seen each other so often, even while not traveling. While Shaggy loved his parents and sister, he was closer to this group than anyone else. And losing these three, he felt like it wasn't fair. It wasn't fair to him. It wasn't fair to their families. It certainly wasn't fair to Jasmine.

"I'll miss you guys. More than you'll ever know. And I love you."

But fair didn't change things. So Shaggy had collapsed and cried. When he noticed the time again, it was when an umbrella appeared over his head. He had been gone for nearly two hours. Shaggy looked up at the woman holding the umbrella. She offered a sad yet comforting smile his direction, offering him her hand. Letting out a frustrated sigh, Shaggy reached up and took it.

"Thanks."

"No problem, you looked a bit wet." This nearly got a smile out of the man.

"Just a bit. Tends to happen when you decide to work out in a suit during a rainstorm." This got an actual laugh and smile from the woman.

"Any chance you are up to heading back? The party is calming down and the lawyer just arrived."

"Lawyer?" Catching the sudden fear in Shaggy's voice, the woman reached over and placed a calming hand on his shoulder.

"Just about their wills. Time to go see what is going to happen to Jasmine. You want to know, don't you?" Shaggy felt a shudder run down his back. He remembered the look Jasmine had given him as he ran away. He couldn't do that to her. She had just lost several very important people in her life and he would be damned if he was going to run away from her too.

"No, you're right. Let's go."

"Great. Mind if we drive? I'm not really up to running that far back." Here Shaggy let out an actual smile.

"Whatever you say. Let's get going."

The two had gotten into her car and driven quickly back to the reception hall. From the outside it still looked like a party was going on, but as he entered, Shaggy saw that things were actually very quiet. As he walked in beside her, Scooby came running up. The dog had a concerned look on his face, but smiled back when Shaggy offered him a smile.

"Don't worry pal, I'm not running away. Just needed to say my goodbyes."

"Reah, rell relcome rack!" (Yeah, well welcome back!)

As Shaggy scratched behind the Great Dane's ears, everyone's attention was drawn to a lawyer standing at the other end of the room. The older man cleared his throat and everyone turned to face him.

"Good Evening. My name is Mr. Riles. While I do wish it were under happier circumstances, thank you all for being here." Shaggy felt himself groan a bit. He knew the man had a hard job, but it didn't make Shaggy any happier to consider what was coming. The giving away of Fred, Daphne, and Velma's possessions. Like they were gone.

Well…they were.

Then there was poor Jasmine. She couldn't just be given away like a possession. She was a human being.

Shaggy felt a hand on his shoulder as the woman offered a gentle squeeze. Only then did he realize that his fists had been clenched. He released his hands.

"Now then, first for Miss Dinkley's will."

Shaggy felt himself shut down as the reading of the Will's began. He really didn't want to hear this. But he knew he needed to. His eyes shot up as he heard his name.

'…To my dear friend Norville Rogers, I leave all the notes of our memoirs as well as my bookstore." Shaggy took that in. She had left him her business, which she had worked so hard to start. On top of that, she left him all the notes and memoirs from the mysteries. Each a tale of a story. A painful memory? Shaggy felt a tear run down his face as he nodded to the lawyer that he had heard him.

And the continued through Velma's will. Next Came Fred and Daphne's. He heard what they left to Velma, which he assumed would go into an estate. Finally came him.

"To Norville Shaggy Rogers, one of our oldest and closest friends. He and Scooby were always the glue that held the gang together. To them, we leave the mystery machine…."

Shaggy scoffed a bit at this. The machine had been totaled and he wasn't sure he would every get that. He began to drop his head and walk away when he heard words which would change his life forever.

"…And we ask that he become the legal guardian of Jasmine Rhea Jones."

Shaggy stood frozen in his spot. He couldn't turn to look at anyone, but he could feel the eyes of both the Jones' and the Blake's burning into him. He took a gulp.

"Excuse me?"

"It is quite plain here, Mr. Rogers. You have been asked to become Miss Jasmine's legal guardian. The choice is of course entirely up to you." With that the lawyer put the papers back into his case. As he moved over to Shaggy, the room still sat silent.

"No please think this over. I will not need to know for a few more days. Contact me when you have decided so we can make any appropriate preparations. Do not worry, The Jones' estate will cover the cost for caring for her." With that Shaggy snapped.

"STOP!" The whole room jerked their attention in his direction.

"I'm sorry?" Mr. Riles seemed flustered at Shaggy's reponse.

"I'm sorry, but please stop for now." Shaggy continued in a much softer tone. "My friends were just buried and these decisions are not ones I can easily make right now. So please, stop."

Seeing the look in Shaggy's eyes, Mr. Riles relented.

"So be it Mr. Rogers. I will need your answer by Friday. That will give you a week. Until then we can place her in someone else's care."

"No, please don't. She can stay with either I or her family until then." Mr. Riles gave the younger man one last look.

"So be it Mr. Rogers. I look forward to hearing from you."

With that he was gone and out the door, leaving Shaggy and the rest of the guests dumbfounded. It was decided that sleep was best for everyone. The Blakes had decided to keep Jasmine for the night.

VXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVX

So here sat Shaggy, considering all that had happened. He stood and Scooby slowly shifted from his slumber at the foot of the bed. As the dog yawned, he noticed Shaggy staring at the window.

"Rhats Rong Raggy? (Whats Wrong Shaggy?)" Shaggy felt the Great Dane's eyes on his back.

"I'm not sure what to do Scoob." He stopped and slammed his fist down on the window sill. "I don't know if I am good enough to raise Jasmine." Scooby came over and nuzzled his head once more under Shaggy's hand.

"Re'll Rigure rit rout." (We'll figure it out.) Shaggy couldn't help but smile at the dog's confidene. He stood to get dressed. He was going to have to discuss Jasmine's future with both the Blakes and Jones for sure. With a groan he opened the door and stepped into the hall. He and Scooby were at a hotel just a block down from the office where Mr. Blake had agreed for everyone to meet this morning.

Shaggy and Scooby settled down for a quick bite at the continental breakfast before heading over. Only then did Shaggy realize how long it had been since he had actually eaten. And he realized that food may never again carry the same kind of fun it had previously. He dropped the slice of bread back on his plate and dropped his head into his hands.

Then he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up once more into those familiar eyes and almost felt himself smile. She offered a gentle smile in return.

"How are you doing?"

"I've been better." She settled into the seat across from him, slipping her hand down till it held his.

"I can imagine."

They sat together in silence for a bit. The only noise was from other patrons, but Shaggy didn't notice any of that. All he saw was her. She seemed so confidant. So sure. He wasn't sure he would ever be that again. Then her words broke his thoughts.

"So what are you going to do?"

"Hmmm?" He snapped his eyes back into focus. She really was gorgeous. And she had been so nice to him since all of this had happened.

"What are you going to do?"

"Well, I'm going down to meet with the Blakes and Jones."

"Not what I meant."

"I know."

Another silence fell, but there was some tension in this one.

"So?"

"To be honest I'm not sure. I absolutely adore Jasmine, but I'm not sure I can handle taking care of her. I can hardly manage for Scooby-Doo and myself." This got a bit of a smile from her before her face was once again serious.

"Just take your time. You need to make the right decision for Jasmine. Fred and Daphne believed in you." Here she stopped, looking down at where her hand was still on his. She drew it back and stood up. As she moved over, she put her hand back on his shoulder and gave him a peck on his cheek. "And I believe in you." Then she walked away.

Shaggy sat stunned for a moment, unable to process what had just happened. He moved a few seconds later.

"Sally, Wait!"

But it was too late. Thorn was gone.

And Shaggy didn't know why her being gone made him so sad.


	3. Chapter 3: It's Norville

Shaggy entered the office building shaking his head. He really needed to clear his head for what he knew would be coming, but the past day, not to mention the morning, had really thrown him off. He had left Scooby in the room during breakfast and had just gotten the Great Dane back after he had missed catching Sally when she had kissed his cheek.

'Man that felt nice.' Shaggy thought to himself. He had to slow down his roll at that point. This was Sally McKnight he was thinking about. She was just there to be a good friend. Nothing more.

Of course that didn't change the fact that her telling him she had faith in him with Jasmine had really given him a burst of energy for this meeting. For some strange reason, knowing she believed in him made him want to prove her right.

So here he was, strolling into the office of the CEO of Blake Enterprises. Jasmin had spent the night with her grandparents and Shaggy was now going to be having a discussion with them about her future. Shaggy had always found the Blakes a bit intimidating and he knew this was not going to help matters at all.

What Shaggy had not expected, as he entered the office, was to see the Jones sitting there as well. Surrounding the large desk in the middle was both Mr. and Mrs. Jones, Mr. and Mrs. Blake, as well as Daphne's five sisters and their significant others. Shaggy took a deep breath. 'Well this just got harder.'

Then he heard a small shout of joy as Jasmine came running out from behind the desk and came over to grab his hand. He bent down as she called his name and she threw her arms around his neck.

"Uncle Shaggy! Uncle Shaggy!"

"Hey Pumpernickel, how are you?" Jasmine giggled at his nickname for her. He thought back to first meeting the little girl in the hospital. Just like everyone else, he had been wrapped around her finger from day one. As such, he had decided to call her after his favorite bread, because she was his favorite little lady.

As he asked his question, he saw her face fall a little. Shaggy assumed it was because of her parents and started to step in.

"How about we-"

"Grandmother and Grandfather say that I'm not allowed to stay with you." She cut him off and he could hear the sorrow in her voice. Seeing the look in the little girl's eyes, Shaggy made his decision. If she wanted to stay with him, he would simply grow up and take care of her. Now it was just a matter of convincing the families.

Looking up, Shaggy could read the looks of shock on everyone's faces, but he didn't let his own reaction show. He drew Jasmine up into his arms and stood to his full height. While Shaggy had never been the biggest nor most intimidating person, he was not small. He had always cowered a bit, which led to people not really fearing him, but Jasmine's reaction set something in him off. Shaggy drew up to his entire 6'5" height and squared his shoulders back. He felt his shirt draw tight around his chest and knew working out had been a good idea. He even saw one of the unmarried Blake women bite her lip.

"Don't you worry sweetheart, they are just looking out for you because they love you. Just like I do." Here Shaggy made a point to make eye contact with both Mr. Blake and Mrs. Blake before bringing his attention back to Jasmine. As he said it, she buried her face in his neck and he hugged her tight. After a moment, he pulled her gently back.

"Jasmine, why don't you go play for a bit. I need to speak with your grandparents." Jasmine gave him an almost questioning look. She was far more observant than someone of her young years should be. Definitely her parent's daughter. Shaggy felt a smile and tear both forming at the thought. He set the young girl down on Scooby's back.

"Don't worry, we will all be right here. You go relax with Scooby-Doo!" Scooby did not miss the look that Shaggy gave him.

"Reah Rasmine, Rets Ro!" (Yeah Jasmine, Let's go!). He began off at a trot with the young girl laughing as she rode on his back. As the two exited the room, Shaggy turned back to face the rest of the adults. He just stared, still offering his imposing presence. He could feel some of the others starting to shy away from it a bit. He looked at the Blakes first.

"You two?" They merely nodded. Mrs. Blake wouldn't even meet his eyes. He turned to face the Jones.

"And you also?" Shaggy couldn't help the pain showing in his voice. Mrs. Jones looked as if she was already on the verge of tears. Shaggy saw her grip Mr. Jones hand who turned his eyes to face the tall young man.

"Shaggy, you have-"

"Norville."

"Excuse me?"

"My name. It is Norville. Only my friends and family can call me Shaggy. Right now, I'm not sure where those of you in this room fall." Shaggy placed an extra dose of venom in his voice. He watched the older blonde man shy away from him a bit. As did some of the younger Blake women. Mr. Blake, however, decided to intervene.

"Now then, Mr. Rogers. There is no need for this. Jasmine is our family after all."

"Yes, and her parents, two of my best friends, asked me to look after her." It was a statement. Shaggy stood behind his conviction and saw the pain break in the Jones eyes. He realized their struggle. He softened and turned to them once more.

"Look, I know you all care about Jasmine. I know you all loved Fred and Daphne dearly. And they asked me to look after her, not to take her from you. She is still your blood family, but she is also one of the most precious things in my life. Don't make her choose between us." Shaggy stopped. He was gaging the room. The Jones had both tensed up and Shaggy could see the tears in Mrs. Jones eyes. What he had not expected was what came next.

"He's right, you know." Shaggy looked over to give the young Blake woman a thankful nod. Dorothy had spoken up. Next to Daphne, she had been the youngest. Of course she was still very much like her sister in looks. All of the Blake women were. Dorothy moved away from the family to stand by Shaggy. She gave him an appreciative nod and placed her hand on his shoulder. Of course at his height it was a reach up. Then she turned to face her family, staring down her father.

"Daddy, you know that was what Daphne and Fred wanted. Can't you respect their wishes?"

"And leave them with such a slob? A man who runs from…well, everything?"

Suddenly Shaggy had an idea. As a sly grin crept across his face, he noted the time. Nearly lunch time. He smiled at the rest of the rooms inhabitants who returned his look wearily. All except Dorothy.

"Mr. Blake, you were right once upon a time. But somethings do not change. I still enjoy food, as I am sure all of you do. How about we go enjoy lunch, taking a break from this stress for a moment. We can all enjoy being with Jasmine one last time, regardless of how this ends." He paused here. Mr. Blake studied him for a moment before relenting.

"Fine, that seems like an excellent idea Mr. Rogers. Where shall we go? Some small diner?"

"Actually, I was considering Spade." Shaggy watched everyone's eyes jump up at the name. It was the very high end restaurant next to the office building. Certainly unexpected. Sensing tension rising in the room again, Shaggy was about to say something else when Dorothy slipped her arm in his and turned toward the door. As she opened it, there was a loud laugh from both Scooby and Jasmine. This naturally brought the rest of the family running.


	4. Chapter 4: How About Lunch

"Ah, Mr Rogers. Welcome, welcome. What can we do for you today?"

Shaggy smiled at the hostess. Shaggy stood beside him with Jasmine still on her back and Dorothy for some reason still had her arm in his. Shaggy didn't mind. A moment later, he heard the door open and felt the rest of the family slip in behind him.

"Well, Maisy, I'm here for lunch. Could you get us a table on the rooftop for 15?" Maisy looked startled for a minute before noting everyone else entering behind him. Then she merely smiled and ran off, saying she would be back in a minute. Daisy whispered to her father from behind them.

"Daddy, it takes months to get a reservation here, even during lunch."

"Indeed sweetheart."

Shaggy tensed a bit at this. Mr. Blake was going to fight this all the way through. Well, it didn't matter. He would soon convince them otherwise. Maisy returned shortly and led them up to the roof. This was the most coveted seats in the house. While it took months to get a reservation in the restaurant, it often took nearly a year to get reservations up here.

And so everyone settled down into lunch. There were waiters and waitresses hovering around constantly, all speaking directly to Shaggy as opposed to anyone else.

"Can we get you anything else, Mr. Rogers?"

"How is the food Mr. Rogers?"

"Is this to your preference, Mr. Rogers?"

Shaggy finally managed to swat everyone away just after the appetizers came. He had started to receive odd glances from some at the table, though the Jones still seemed unable to look at him. Dorothy, Delilah, and Jasmine, on the other hand, all seemed now taken with Shaggy.

Suddenly Shaggy was drawn from his conversation by a gentle tap on his shoulder. He turned to see Maisy had returned. She leaned down and whispered in his ear.

"I am so sorry to bother you, Mr Rogers, but one of the chefs has gotten sick."

Shaggy smiled for a minute, offering a quick glance around the table. Then he stood.

"Please excuse me. I need to deal with something. I will be back shortly." He placed a quick peck on Jasmine's head before leaving the table. Just as he was about to enter the kitchen, he heard a voice behind him.

"Shag…ahem, Norville?"

He turned to see both Mr. and Mrs. Jones standing there. He let out a sigh, nervous about what was to come.

"Ummm, we just wanted to apologize. You are absolutely right. We just let ourselves get talked out of it. But we do love you and we love Jasmine. And we know you will take good care of her. We just want to be in her life too."

Shaggy felt his own eyes tearing up as both of the Jones began to break down. Shaggy strolled over and pulled them both into a hug.

"Don't worry. I would never try and remove you from her life. You are her grandparents and you love her. She needs that more than anything." He turned away once more to head into the kitchen. Then he stopped and called over his shoulder.

"And it is Shaggy to my family and friends. Please." He saw them look at him as he was about to enter the kitchen, so he placed a finger over his lips and winked.

VXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVX

About 30 minutes later, Shaggy had returned. He had helped push through the lunch rush and had even personally made each dish for his own table. He managed to settle back in just before the food had arrived. He shared a knowing wink with the Jones who just smiled back at him. And everyone dove into the food. There were several appreciative comments. Shaggy loved watching Jasmine enjoy the food and noticed Dorothy, who had sat beside him, occasionally bump into his arm. He wasn't sure what it meant, but he appreciated the contact.

As the meal settled down, everyone seemed to be in a better mood. Then the unexpected happened. Mr. Blake sat back having finished his meal.

"I must thank the chef. That was the most delightfully superb meal I have ever had."

Shaggy had to suppress a giggle as Mr. Blake called one of the waiters over. He posed his question which led to the waiter looking nervously around the table.

"Ummm, I cannot bring the chef out here sir." Mr. Blake seemed to be a bit annoyed at this.

"And why not, my good man?" Shaggy decided it was time to intervene. He stood once more to his full height.

"Perhaps because the chef and owner is already at your table sir." There was a gasp. Shaggy felt Dorothy grab one hand and Jasmine holding the other. He smiled at each in turn before turning back to Mr. Blake.

"Mr. Blake, I am the owner of not only this restaurant, but 4 more in this city. I am also invested in several more across the country. Just as you hold your company to a very high standard, I do the same of all of my restaurants. I did not run from this responsibility. I owned it."

Here Shaggy paused to take a softer approach. He could see much of the table shying away from his intimidation.

"I will implore, once again sir, do not make this decision for yourself, but make it for Jasmine. She deserves all the love she can manage, no?"

The entire table fell into an eerie silence. You could have heard a pin drop. Even Scooby had come up from his meal to watch what was going on. The tension was think enough, you could have cut it with a knife. And Shaggy and Mr. Blake were staring one another down.

Finally Mr. Blake relented.

"So be it Mr. Rogers, but we still expect to get to see our granddaughter." Shaggy offered a smile.

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

With that decided, the entire table relaxed and fell back into easy conversation.

VXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVX

It was around 7pm when Shaggy was gathering up things to leave. Once it had been decided that Jasmine would come live with him, it was time to return to his hotel for one last night. He had been gathering up his stuff when Dorothy came up and pulled him quietly aside.

"Thank you." Shaggy offered her a puzzled look.

"For what?"

"For standing up to Daddy and being willing to take care of Jasmine. She needs someone who cares about her so much right now." Shaggy was getting lost in the purple eyes. He shook his head.

"Oh…no problem. I do love her that much." Shaggy could see the sad smile that Dorothy gave him. She reached up and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

"Good." With that she turned to leave. Shaggy didn't even notice that he had been holding her hand until it dropped. He found in its place a wadded up piece of paper. As he unfolded it, it was Dorothy's number with a smiley face on it. It said to text her sometime.

Shaggy left feeling more confused.

VXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVX

Jasmine had fallen asleep on the way to the hotel, so she was wrapped up in Shaggy's arms as he entered the hotel. He was stopped by the clerk at the front desk.

"Mr. Rogers, Mr. Rogers! Wait. I have a letter for you!"

Letting out an exasperated sigh, Shaggy turned toward the man. While Jasmine was still not heavy, carrying her so far this late after such a long day was becoming tiresome. He snatched the letter with a free hand from the man before realizing how it must have come across.

"I'm sorry, just need to get the sleeping princess up to the room." The clerk nodded with a smile and went over to push the elevator button for the man. Shaggy shifted Jasmine higher into his arms as the elevator rode up and Scooby got off with the key in his mouth.

As soon as they entered the room, Shaggy realized what might be a problem. There was one bed and a couch. He carefully moved the small girl under the covers. She began to fight when he tried to pry her fingers from around his neck. Scooby came to his rescue. He laid down on the bed with his back to Jasmine who instantly rolled over and wrapper her arms around Scooby.

With a smile at the now sleeping pair, Shaggy went over and collapsed on the couch. Then he remembers the letter and pulled it out from his back pocket. As he opened and read it, he felt himself smile.

 _Dear Shaggy,_

 _You seemed to have been having a rough time. I hope these will help a bit. And don't worry about Jasmine. I know she will be with you, but I have set something up. See you tomorrow!_

 _Sincerely_

 _Sally McKnight_

Inside were three tickets to the Hex Girls show the next night. Shaggy smiled to himself as he drifted off to sleep, unsure of what would happen next.


	5. Chapter 5: How to Get There

"Good morning Mr Rogers!"

Shaggy waved to the desk clerk as he strolled by. It was 6pm and he, Scooby, and Jasmine were off to the Hex Girls concert. Of course getting there might be the trick. Shaggy realized this as he had stepped out of the hotel. The venue was on the other side of town. More than that, his only set of wheels had been the mystery machine, and that old beast probably wasn't going to be miraculously showing up for them to drive. He let out a sigh, which led to a whimper from Scooby.

Jasmine of courses didn't catch any of that. She was just excited. She had hear they were supposed to be going to see the Hex Girls and Jasmine, being a little girl, was a fan. Of course everyone seemed to be a fan of the Wiccan Rock Divas. Shaggy certainly knew he was, thinking back to when the gang had met the three women just as they launched their career. And it had apparently been a great ride for the three women. Sure there were bumps along the way, but who didn't face that.

Dusk and Luna were so nice, if perhaps a bit odd. The two of them seemed to have so much fun pretending to terrorize Shaggy and Scooby, but it was always in good fun. Things came together and the gang and the band had become friends. And Shaggy was certainly a fan of how well the two ladies played their instruments. Dusk could rock out on the drums more than anyone since Keith Moon and Luna blew every other keyboardist out of the water. She would have held her own against the likes of Richard Wright of John Lord.

Then it came to Thorn. Shaggy felt himself blush a bit as he thought about the eco-goth. She had been great during the funeral and everything else. More than that, she seemed to know just what he needed as far as standing up to the Blakes for Jasmine. Now she had set up a night out for them all to relax, she really was great.

Well, if they could ever get there!

Suddenly Shaggy looked up. There was a quick honk as a car pulled up in front of them. Well, it was really more of a limo than a regular car. Shaggy watched in amazement as the back door opened. It really was mesmerizing as steam seemed to pour out and he saw two legs stretch out. Next thing he knew, Luna and Dusk were both standing in front of him. Well, towering near him, though at his height they couldn't really tower over him even in their heels. But the slight grin with their fangs showing was enough to make Scooby Doo Whimper and to make Shaggy gulp.

But the tense moment passed in an instant as they both dropped down to greet Jasmine. Their intimidation was gone and the little girl was obsessed with the two rock goddesses. Shaggy let out a breath he had been holding when he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned slowly to see the long slender fingers draped over and found himself fully facing none other than Sally McKnight. He looked up at her green eyes, her bat necklace draper around her neck. She was already done up in her make-up, fangs too, but Shaggy didn't find himself terrified for some reason. Perhaps it was the soft look in her eyes. Regardless, he suddenly felt much better.

"Thought you might be able to use a ride." Shaggy let out something between a grunt and a laugh.

"Well it would be nice. I was just trying to figure out if I could manage running there while holding Jasmine on my back." This led to a small giggle from Sally. It was so faint that Shaggy wasn't sure he heard it, but her grin told him he had. Suddenly Sally was gone and it was Thorn.

"Sisters." She looked over at the other two, still doting on Jasmine. Instantly they got their intimidating grins back and stood up, but with Jasmine in their arms. "Should we be going now?"

"Yessss." They both nearly hissed in unison. Shaggy had to admit that they had this act down pat. No wonder they did so well. He watched as the three disappeared with Jasmine into the smoke pouring from the car. He straightened up and looked down at Scooby.

"What do you think old buddy old pal?" The dog gave him a sideways glance before a huge grin crept across his face.

"Ret's Ro!" (Let's Go).

With that, Shaggy and Scooby slipped into the back of the limo behind the women. All three were currently distracted by Jasmine. They had decided to help do her make-up like theirs for the night and were busy helping her figure out the tiny fangs they brought. Shaggy smiled. He knew what a nightmare Jasmine could be and now they had given her fangs. But it would be alright. After all the little girl had been through, she deserved a night like this. Shaggy just watched, a small sideways smile spreading on his face. Suddenly everyone turned to look at him and Scoob.

"Now do Shaggy and Uncle Scooby!" With all three women facing him, Shaggy began to try sinking into the seat. He couldn't melt fast enough though and soon, Dusk and Luna had Scooby pinned while Thorn and Jasmine jumped on Shaggy. While Jasmine brought her everything she needed, Thorn sat in Shaggy's lap to make sure he couldn't get away. Shaggy had to say that he did not really mind all that much. Of course Shaggy was also hoping that Thorn wouldn't move around too much or else the situation could become awkward rather quickly.

"Now for the fangs!" Shaggy decided he was going to fight this. He shut his mouth and attempted to pout. This got a laugh out of both Thorn and Jasmine, nearly making Shaggy smile. Of course he fought it off, but this just led to more laughter from the girl and woman. With laughter came squirming and Shaggy felt things were going to turn badly soon. Of course Jasmine offered him a solution. She pinched his nose until he had to open his mouth, giving Thorn a chance to slip the fangs into his mouth. But Shaggy couldn't stop his body from reacting and as Thorn slid around once more to add some finishing touches, contact was made. Shaggy froze, mostly in terror, and he felt Thorn tense up.

"Jasmine, sweetheart, why don't you go help Luna and Dusk finish up Scooby. Then we need to figure out a good name for you as an honorary Hex Girl!" Jasmine squealed at this and jumped off the seat to go attack poor Scooby who was already worn out. Thorn then turned back to Shaggy, smirking at him. She slid off his lap, settling down beside him. They were nearly touching, but not. It was kind of like a high school crush scene. Shaggy felt his heart in his throat and was scared of what was coming next.

"I'm glad you came tonight." Here Thorn smirked down and gave a nearly imperceptible glance down before bringing her green eyes back to his. "And apparently you are too."

"Umm…yeah…look Sally, Sorry. Ummm…well…" She reached out and placed her hand on his arm. It was another comforting gesture. Something she had been doing a lot of for him lately. He stopped stuttering and looked directly at her. There was a real smile on Sally's face.

"I'm glad you decided to keep her. She seems happy with you." Shaggy felt himself relax. That one statement had gotten rid of the awkward tension in his body.

"Me too. I'm really happy to have her with me. And I cannot thank you all enough for this. I think she needed something like this anyway."

"We're just glad to help." Sally rested her head on his shoulder. It was brief before she pulled away, but her hand was still on his arm. Shaggy had to fight to control the smile growing on his face. He really was acting like a child.

"So sisters, we need a name for our newest member." Thorn moved away, but her hand lingered on his arm until she kneeled on the floor. As she did, Scooby took his chance to get away from the women. Jasmine sat in the middle of the three, mesmerized by what they were doing. They were discussing names.

"Twilight?"

"Really?"

"What about bats?"

"No."

There were several more attempts thrown out before they finally found one everyone liked.

There was a closing of the circle and some hushed words. As the car stopped, the ladies turned to Shaggy and Scooby. Standing up to leave the car, Jasmine stood beside Thorn, trying to match her pose.

"Boys, I'd like for you to meet the newest Hex Girl, Rose."


	6. Chapter 6:Family?

"Rooby-Rooby-Rooooooo!" Scooby was shouting. The concert had just ended. And he and Shaggy were waiting back stage as the Hex girls took their bows. Scooby couldn't help but notice the giant grin on his friends face as the three rock stars walked over.

"What a show."

"Yeah, it really was."

"I think Rose was a hit."

The Three ladies discussed the show as they strolled up. Shaggy had the sleeping Jasmine in his arms. When they had arrived, he had expected to fight a bit to find some seats where he, Scooby, and Jasmine could be comfortable. Instead, Sally had dragged the three of them back stage and then asked Rose to join them on stage for the first number. To say the little girl was excited would be an understatement.

So she had joined them, been introduced as Rose, and jumped around a lot during the first song. And the little girl was a huge hit. The crowd sheered her on and Jasmine loved it.

Of course the late night and excitement wore her out and Shaggy ended up holding the little lady in his arms for much of the night but it didn't matter. They were a family and they were having fun.

As Shaggy and Scooby stood there waiting, Shaggy took a moment to take in the three women. Watching them laugh and joke, they really were a family. Those three were as close as he had been to the gang at the very least. Shaggy smiled a sad smile remembering the game. As the three women turned to him and Scooby, the Great Dane caught the sad look in his best friend's eye. It concerned the dog, but Scooby saw something else too. As Shaggy's eyes came to Sally, Scooby saw almost a spark. It wasn't much, but it made Scooby's tail wag.

The ladies instantly fell to quiet whispers as they came closer to Shaggy, Scooby, and the sleeping girl.

"She was awesome!" Dusk said, the excitement visible in her eyes. Luna and thorn nodded their agreement.

"Yeah, but I think it was a bit much for the little rocker. Time to get her back to sleep."

"Back? I thought you were out of the hotel?" All three women seemed shocked by his statement.

"And so I am. I've been setting up a room for her at my place. While she and Scooby were spending the day getting pumped up and excited for tonight, I went out and get her a few things. Managed to get her bed and clothes from Fred and Daph's house. Still going to need to get a few things, but its all good." They watched as he turned and offered the little bundle in his arms a heartwarming smile. "She is worth it." All three women let out small "Awwws" at this. Shaggy caring for Jasmine was adorable.

"Well come on then, Shaggy Rogers, let's get you and the little princess home then. Where to?" Sally jumped forward, opening the back of the limo for them all to step in. There was some hesitation. Dusk and Luna looked at one another, then back at Sally.

"Look Thorn, Luna and I are going to just head back and get some sleep if that's alright."

"Oh, well yeah, alright." Thorn hadn't expected that reaction. Of course had she kept watching, she might have seen the sly smile that passed between Dusk and Luna. As it was, only Scoob saw it. He fought a laugh before nudging Luna to say goodbye. As Luna and Dusk leaned down to pet him, he nudged them both and offered a knowing look. They both smiled, but Dusk made a locking motion in front of her mouth and threw the key away. Everyone else settled into the back of the car. They called through the window to the two Hex Girls still standing there.

"Night ladies, thank you for helping Jasmine…I mean Rose, have so much fun."

"Reah, RuRye!" (Yeah, BuBye!)

"Bye sisters. Don't worry, I'll be back soon!"

At Thorn's comment, Luna smirked at Duck. The two simply waved until the car was far enough away they couldn't be heard.

"Yeah, yeah, just not too soon I hope."

"I know! That is the happiest I have seen her since…."

"Yeah, me too."

With the mood suddenly somber, the two women strolled back toward the hotel. It was only a block down, so not too far.

VXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXV

In the car, Shaggy shifted the sleeping Jasmine so she was lying carefully on the seat. After, he stretched his arms which he had not realized were beginning to tense up. While he did all of this, Sally sat across from him, smiling and scratching Scooby behind the ears.

"You really are good for her."

Shaggy let out a small hmph. He turned and moved to sit beside Sally.

"I'm not sure about that. She needs a real family. I'm just the crazy uncle with the cool dog. Not sure I can be a good father and family for her." Sally scrunched up her face.

"Yeah, my dad once told me he thought the same thing when my mother died. Said he wasn't sure he was up to the task of raising a girl all by himself. Personally, I think he did alright." Here Sally leaned over, wrapping her arm around Shaggy's and resting her head on his shoulder. She looked up and smiled at him. "I think you'll do alright too!"

Shaggy smiled down at her. He wasn't sure what was happening, but this woman was amazing. She seemed to know exactly what he needed to hear and when he needed to hear it. He just wished he could offer her something in return. Shaggy's eyes darted around the limo, seeing Jasmine and that Scoob had moved over to curl up beside her. He felt Sally apparently drifting off to sleep against him. It all made him smile.

Then he heard Sally mumble, almost under her breath, "Besides, you aren't the only family she has as long as I'm around."

Shaggy tensed at that. Not much, but enough because suddenly Sally's eyes were up and watching him.

"Are you ok Shaggy?"

Shaggy looked back. He could see the concern and care in her eyes, and it showed in her voice. It wasn't that he was scared. It was that he didn't know what her words meant, but he was suddenly thinking about what he would like for them to mean. Instead, he played the coward.

"Yeah, just fine Sally. And thank you. For being here. For tonight. For pushing me to take care of Jasmine. For being a friend." Shaggy watched, carefully curling his arm around Sally's shoulders as she drifted off to sleep. Once he thought she was out, he muttered one more.

"And thank you, for being the best family I've had when I needed it most."

Shaggy missed the smile that grew on Sally's face.


	7. Chapter 7: What To Do Now?

Shaggy stretched his arms out above his head. It had been a very interesting night. They had arrived at his house and with nearly no struggle, Shaggy had managed to slip out from under Sally, pick up Jasmine, and slip out the door. As he had started to walk toward the house, he had stopped and gone back to ask the driver to wait a few minutes. The gentleman had agreed, nodding a weary head at the young man. So Shaggy had slipped inside with Jasmine in his arms, carefully carrying her up to bed. Once more, when he settled her into the covers, she clung to his neck. Shaggy tried to carefully pry her fingers from around his neck when Scooby slipped in and laid down beside the girl. She instantly wrapped her arms around the dog's neck who just smiled at his friend.

"Ro Ray RoodRye.' (Go Say Goodbye)

Shaggy gave a knowing and appreciative nod to the dog. Scooby saw far more than he let on.

"Thanks pal."

So Shaggy had gone back down stairs to say goodnight to Sally. As he had slipped back into the car, he found her still asleep, but hunched awkwardly on the seat. Shaggy watched with an amused grin for a moment, simply taking in the sight before him. He wasn't sure what on earth was going on, but he was just going to enjoy this for now. Shaking his head, he moved over beside her and slipped his arms around her, trying to carefully move her into a more comfortable position. What he had not expected was her to hug him back. Not only hug, but pull him in tight. It took everything Shaggy had not to collapse against the gorgeous woman now clinging to him.

And Then Shaggy noticed how close the two were. Their faces were mere inches apart. Shaggy could see her lips. He could smell her. For all the makeup and everything else, she still smelled sweet…delectable almost.

And what had come next had shocked Shaggy even more. As he was staring, trying to pull himself from this new distraction, he had heard…well, felt more than heard, a moan rise from Sally. Shaggy felt his body beginning to react to both the close quarters as well as the sounds. He began to carefully try to reposition Sally so she was lying down and so he could pull her arms from around his neck. He had nearly succeeded…nearly. As he finally had her lying down and him more or less directly over her, which was naturally when she woke up.

Staring right into his eyes.

Apparently there was a look of shock on Shaggy's face which turned out to be his saving grace. Seeing the look in his eyes, Sally laughed rather than yelled. As Shaggy pulled back, she had apologized for falling asleep on him and for waking up in such a compromising position. Shaggy had been nervous and was apologizing profusely while he tried to back out of the limo. His reaction had only led for Sally to slide toward him instead. As Shaggy had reached the door, he had heard her final words.

"I said it is ok Shaggy." As he had finally stepped out, he heard more, almost as if she were trying to hide it. "Besides, its not like I didn't like it."

Shaggy had frozen. Apparently Sally caught this because Shaggy heard a quiet curse word as Sally slid to the door. Suddenly she was the nervous one. She shut the door and rolled down the window to say goodnight. The two paused to stare at one another and Shaggy had decided to be brave…

…He reached down, carefully grasping Sally's face in his hands, and brought his lips to hers. He kissed her. It was gentle, soft, and caring. Shaggy loved how it felt. He loved the taste of her lips. He needed more. He wanted her in his arms.

And he froze. Suddenly realizing what he was doing, Shaggy seemed to jump back to his senses. He pulled away, muttered a hasty goodbye, and turned to walk away.

He completely missed the doe-eyed look Sally had behind his back as the limo pulled away.

And now here he was. Unable to sleep for thinking about what had happened. Shaggy needed someone to talk to. Someone who could help him figure this out. He loved Scoob, but the dog couldn't help him with relationship stuff. Neither could his usually go to's seeing as Velma and Daphne obviously weren't options and the Hex girls couldn't either.

Suddenly Shaggy remembered the piece of paper. Sprinting over to his nightstand, he found the slip of paper with Dorothy's name. Of course the smiley made him pause. She had seemed so eager to help, but suddenly Shaggy was nervous about reaching out to her. He didn't like how difficult this was becoming for him, all the way around.

So he settled back into bed. Regardless of his decision, it was far too late to text or call her tonight. He should sleep for now and he could figure this out tomorrow.

So Shaggy settled into a restless sleep. When he finally did fade, he was nervous about what tomorrow would bring. He had kissed Sally McKnight.

And he knew he wanted to do that again.

VXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVX

Shaggy was naturally woken up by Jasmine and Scooby bounding into his room and jumping on his bed. Shaggy was still working on becoming accustomed to this seeing as yesterday had been his first of probably many mornings awaking like this. Though when he thought about it, he really didn't mind.

Shaggy carefully pried himself from Jasmine and Scooby who were now tangled in the bed sheets before moving from the room and calling back over his shoulder.

"Anyone want breakfast?"

There was a mad dash as the other two tried to jump up to follow him.

"RES!"

"Please? Can we have waffles? With Chocolate and whip cream?"

Shaggy had to suppress a smile. He knew if that little girl so much as looked in his direction, he would bend over backwards for her. He figured maybe one day he would have to learn to be firm, but not today. So he stopped to pick her up in his arms before commenting back.

"Certainly pumpernickel, you got it!"

With a squeal of her laugh, the three raced down to the kitchen. They proceeded to make a mess, but no one really seemed to care. The food was delicious and while Shaggy set about cleaning up, Scooby walked Jasmine around the house, finally settling on cartoons before the TV.

Once done cleaning and knowing everything was handled with Scooby watching Jasmine, Shaggy pulled out his phone. It was time to make his decision. He was going to call. He needed someone, anyone. He had no idea how this would go. He had kissed Sally. But then again, Shaggy appreciated the confidence Dorothy had shown in him and she seemed interested in more than being friends. Maybe he was over-analyzing these things again. He did have a habit of doing that.

Letting out a sigh, Shaggy punched in the numbers and hit the call button. After two rings he heard a voice answer at the other end.

"Hello, this is Dorothy Blake."

"Hi Dorothy, its Shaggy." Shaggy heard and nearly felt an immediate shift in the attitude of the woman at the other end. The formality and tightness in her voice was gone suddenly.

"Shaggy! Hey! How are you? Is everything ok? How is Jasmine? What's up?" Shaggy felt himself smile He did appreciate how excited she was to talk to him. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad.

"Well I was wondering if you might be up for grabbing coffee sometime."

He heard a pause at the other end. He wasn't sure what he expected, but that pause made him feel nervous. After a few seconds, he heard her voice again.

"Absolutely Shaggy, I would love to. Sorry about that, mom stopped in. Asked you to say hello to Jasmine. As for Coffee, how is today? 3pm? I know a quaint place just outside of town."

Shaggy smiled again. She was too excited about this. But it would be alright. It was time for him to open up. He needed people in his life again. Thorn, Luna, and Dusk were there. Jasmine and Scooby were there. Why not some of the Blake clan.

"Sounds great Dorothy. I will see you there."

"Will you be bringing Jasmine?" Shaggy paused. He wasn't sure. He'd wanted some time to chat privately, but he couldn't leave Jasmine alone. Then again, if Scoob was there…

"Tell you what, bring her over here. Mom and dad would love to see her and then you and I can drive together."

With that, she hung up the phone. Shaggy was still caught off guard by it all. He merely shook his head at the phone and checked the time. He had a few hours till lunch. He strolled out and settled down on the couch beside Jasmine and Scooby-doo. As he smiled down at the small girl, he had thoughts of two other women suddenly pass through his mind. One was a cute red-head who he was meeting for coffee. The other was a black-haired rock goddess who he had kissed.

Suddenly, Shaggy didn't feel so good. What a mess he was in.


	8. Chapter 8: Coffee

Shaggy strolled up to the Blake house with Jasmine wrapped up in his arms. He was getting ready to go grab coffee with Dorothy. Scoob had stayed at home. He was not a young dog anymore and some time alone after being hounded by Jasmine for so long would probably do him some good.

So Shaggy was here with Jasmine. The young girl had been sad Scooby didn't come, but she changed her tune as soon as the door opened and she saw her grandma, grandpa, and aunts all standing there. She clambered down out of Shaggy's arms and rushed over to them. As she did, Dorothy extricated herself from her family and strolled over to him. She grabbed his hand and pulled him out the door.

"Let's go Shaggy, she has plenty of folks wrapped around her little finger. Don't you worry."

Shaggy smiled and let himself be pulled out to her car. Dorothy was big into cars. She had been a race car driver for a bit but had given that up to get her PhD in Mechanical Engineering. That said, she was still obsessed with cars and driving. Shaggy gave in and let her have her way. As they went on their way, Dorothy smiled over at Shaggy and broke the awkward silence that had begun to form.

"I'm glad you called Shaggy. I was starting to worry when I didn't hear from you for all of yesterday."

"Haha, yeah, sorry about that. Some friends invited us to their concert."

"Oh? Who was that?"

"The Hex Girls. Sally gave Scooby, Jasmine and I backstage passes. The girls even dressed Jasmine up and let he go on stage."

Dorothy had gotten caught when Shaggy Mentioned Sally. She mumbled over her next sentence. "Oh, well that was nice of them." Shaggy seemed to sense the tension.

"Dorothy, is something wrong?" He watched her fingers tighten on the steering wheel.

"No Norville, nothing is wrong at all."

"Norville?"

"Right. You did say only your friends call you Shaggy, right?"

Shaggy froze, confused by the venom in her voice.

"Did I do something wrong Dorothy?"

Dorothy let out a sigh. What right did she have to expect him to be hers just like that. She needed to calm down.

"No, I'm sorry. So you know the Hex Girls?"

"Yep, the gang and I helped them and got help from them during a few different cases. And Sally, or Thorn as you may know her, she was really sweet to me at the funeral."

Dorothy relaxed even more at this. There was no way a rock star would be interested in Shaggy like that. Plus she was just being sweet because of the funeral.

"Though we did kiss last night when she dropped me off."

Dorothy slammed on the breaks, stopping on the side of the road.

"Ummm, oh." It was all Dorothy could say without fear of screaming.

"That was actually what I was hoping to talk with you about."

"Why me?" Dorothy was trying to stop herself from crying or breaking down.

"Well usually I would go to Velma or Daphne, but that really can't happen. So I decided to try you. Of course…." As Shaggy trailed off, he turned away and looked out the window. Dorothy caught the end and hoped for more. After stifling a sniffle, she turned to look at Shaggy and placed her arm on his.

"Of course what Shaggy?" The man let out a sigh, nervous about letting out how he was feeling. It wasn't what he had expected.

"Of course, Dorothy, that was before I called you. When I did, I realized how I felt." Dorothy leaned in closer at this.

"And how do you feel?"

"Honestly?"

"Yes." Dorothy leaned in even closer. The two were mere inches apart. Shaggy gulped before diving on.

"Honestly, I'm not sure. You are both incredible but different. I'm…confused."

"Let me see if I can clear things up for you." Before Shaggy could respond, Dorothy closed the gap and kissed him. Shaggy felt her lips against his and lost himself in the sensation. It was pleasant, powerful, and moving. It was…different.

The kiss with Thorn had been rough and passionate. This one was sweet and playful. Both were amazing. Both moved him and made him want more. But he had no idea what to do next.

"Wow." Sure, great response, Shaggy thought. She just kissed you and that is all you can say? Of course Dorothy didn't seem to mind. There were stars in her eyes as well.

"Yeah…"

After a moment of staring awkwardly into one another's eyes, Shaggy cleared his throat. As he did, it snapped the two back into awareness of where they were. Dorothy mumbled something before starting the car. The two went on to their coffee date with little else happening. They talked a lot about Jasmine, a bit about themselves and each other, and Shaggy thanked Dorothy for standing up to him in front of her father. All in all, the two laughed and had a great time.

When they returned to the house a few hours later, everything was quiet. Shaggy and Dorothy approached the door and stood there for a moment looking at one another.

"Thank you, ya know, for like agreeing to come and talk to me." Shaggy mumbled.

"Yeah, I had a good time. We should do this again." Dorothy mumbled back, not much louder than Shaggy. The two leaned in, both debating on whether to kiss or hug before an awkward hug and kiss on the cheek happened.

At that moment, the door swung open and the two were bombarded with water balloons.

"We got you, we got you!" Jasmine was chanting from her post on top of her grandfather's shoulders. She reached down to Shaggy who reached his drenched arms up to take her over a suspicious glance from Mr. Blake. "Looks like you have been causing trouble." At that, the glance from Mr. Blake disappeared.

"No, not at all. We had a grand old time. Feel free to bring the little bundle of energy by anytime, Shaggy my boy." He held his hand out. Shaggy watched it for a second before grasping and shaking it warmly.

"I will do that Mr. Blake. Thank you.

With that, he and Jasmine set off for home.

VXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXV

Shaggy had just settled Jasmine down for a nap. She had fallen asleep wrapped around Scoob. Shaggy was missing having his best friend sleep with him, but it made Jasmine happy and Scooby seemed to not mind. The old Great Dane was getting up there and letting Jasmine use him as a pillow really seemed to relax him. It was all for the best.

Then Shaggy settled down on the couch to enjoy a glass of scotch. He thought back over his past day. From the ride home from the concert and kissing Sally to the coffee date with Dorothy and kissing her. He really needed to think this out. Shaggy was not sued to having women interested in him, let alone more than one interested in him. On top of that they were both amazing, brilliant, successful women. And Shaggy knew one thing.

He loved them both. And he had to tell them.

All hell was about to break loose.


	9. Chapter 9: Then All H Broke Loose

Shaggy shook himself awake. Sleep had not come simply to him and now he was more confused than ever. His body shook with anticipation as to what would happen next. He quickly checked his phone. There were two texts, one from Sally and one from Dorothy. This suddenly seemed dangerous. Shaggy wasn't sure if this was a game he wanted to be playing.

No, better yet he knew he didn't want to play a game. He was still recovering from the loss of his friends and in the meantime, two gorgeous women had expressed interest in being with him. He wasn't sure how to handle it.

But Sally's message mentioned possibly getting dinner. Shaggy was thrilled with the idea! He quickly texted her back saying sure. Then he panicked. He wasn't sure what or where the rock diva expected them to go. Surely she was used to the finer things in life, whereas Shaggy would be just as happy hanging out at home with a pizza. Ah well, maybe Scoob and Jasmine, ahem, Rose, as she had decided everyone should call her, would be able to help him figure it out.

With that, Shaggy strolled down stairs to begin breakfast before waking the two sleeping beings whom he currently loved more than anyone else in the world.

VXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVX

Shaggy was nervous. He had finally managed a plan for dinner and been able to get Sally to agree to let him pick her up and take her out. He had dressed up and was on his way to her hotel now. His nerves were trying to get the better of him though.

Shaggy shook the fear from his face as he moved out of the car and approached the door. He had brought some flowers with him. He had brought some black and red roses, thorns still attached, at the suggestion of Jasmine. Dating was already a new experience for Shaggy and taking advice on it from someone so young seemed like a bad choice, but Shaggy didn't really have any other options. Putting on his best smile, he knocked at the door.

And as the door opened to reveal Sally, Shaggy's jaw dropped. He couldn't believe his eyes. To call her a rock goddess would not do her justice. Sally was gorgeous beyond compare, and for some reason she was willing to spend time with him. Collecting himself quickly, Shaggy grinned as he saw a cocky smirk appear on Sally's face.

"Like what you see Mr. Rogers?"

"Without a doubt Ms. McKnight. These are for you." He handed her the roses. Sally carefully took them from him and sniffed them before smiling back at him.

"They are stunning and perfect Shaggy. Thank you. I even love that you left the thorns on." Shaggy offered her a sheepish smile while rubbing the back of his head.

"I'm going to be honest, that was Jasmine's idea. Not sure it was the best idea to take dating advice from a 4-year-old, but I'm glad you like them." Sally smiled, placing the roses on the stand beside the door before looping her arm through his.

"I love them. Tell her she did a great job." She paused to give Shaggy a peck on the cheek. "And so did you."

With that the two were off, on their way to dinner which Shaggy had not revealed yet.

When they arrived, Sally let out an involuntary gasp. They had arrived at Spade. Sally was in shock, knowing the exclusivity of this place. And somehow Shaggy had been able to get them in in a single day? She looked over at him with an excited glance.

"I would have been alright with Pizza at your place, but this is amazing!"

"Only the best, Sally. You deserve it." Sally blushed at his compliment. She'd had several men interested in her. One perk of being a gorgeous rock star. But very few actually seemed to care about her. It was one of the reasons she had been drawn to Mystery Inc. They had known her and Dusk and Luna before they were superstars and had not treated the girls any differently because they were famous.

It was part of why she adored Shaggy, though she had only recently admitted it to herself.

The two moved in to the maître de stand where Shaggy requested their reservations. The response he got from the staff even awed Sally. They almost seemed to bend over backwards for him. It made her wonder, but soon they were seated and none of it mattered. Their drinks orders were taken, followed by some light conversation and then their orders were placed.

Then they settled into a comfortable silence. Sally was enjoying the experience, but she could see something eating at Shaggy, so she asked.

"Shaggy, is something wrong?" This seemed to shake him out of his distracted state. He smiled up at the stunning woman across from him.

"Not in the least. But there is something I need to talk to you about." Sally could see some sort of emotion in his face which she couldn't read. It made her a bit nervous, but if he wanted to tell her, she would listen.

"What is it?"

"Well, I have had a busy couple of days. And I think it only fair to tell you that I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with you." As he stopped, Sally could feel tears rising for some reason. He sounded like he was about to leave her and she wasn't really sure she could handle that. Kissing him had been…well, magical didn't begin to cover it.

"Oh?" She didn't trust herself to say more. Luckily, he continued.

"Sally, you are amazing and I realized after I kissed you that I am crazy about you. Head over heels for you." He paused once again. She could see some anguish in his eyes. She reached out and placed a hand on his arm.

"But?" He smirked. She really could read him well.

"But you aren't the only one who has really helped me and who I have had some feelings for over the past few days. On top of that, I am suddenly Jasmine's father and I have lost my closest friends in the world. I don't want to play or mess with your feelings while I am figuring things out Sally. I care about you too much to do that." He stopped once again.

Sally just stared for a moment, fighting back the tears. She was thrilled and sad to hear that all at once. It was nice because the man she loved wanted to be sure he loved her too before rather than messing with her. It made her sad that he didn't seem to know right now. She just nodded, fighting the tears. Shaggy saw this and moved around the table beside her. He swiftly pulled her into a kiss more breathtaking than their previous. As he pulled away, he grinned up into her eyes.

"Don't doubt that I love you Sally. I just want to be fair to you."

With that, he sat back down. Sally felt the tears recede. And then she realized that even if he wasn't ready to move forward with her, he was here at dinner with her and she was going to enjoy it. She smiled over at him.

"Thank you Shaggy."

Of course things are never that simple. As she finished saying thing, there was a scream from another table. Everyone looked over to see a red-headed woman come storming over followed closely by a tall lean man with black hair.


	10. Chapter 10: Not Another One!

"Shaggy, what is this?"

"Dorothy, I would like for you to meet Sally McKnight. She is, at the moment, a very close friend of mine and someone who Jasmine admires very much." Sally felt herself smile at this. But then she looked up and wondered who this woman was and why she seemed so upset. Suddenly there were tears brimming in Dorothy's eyes.

"But I thought we had something special." The black haired man behind her seemed to twitch at this and tried to step forward. Dorothy interrupted him, however. "Not right now, Douglas." Dorothy then turned her attention back to Shaggy. "How can you do this to me, Shaggy Rogers?"

"What are you talking abo-" Shaggy was cut off as Dorothy grabbed him into a kiss. It was passionate and energetic and Sally felt her cheeks getting red at it. She wanted them to stop.

"That is what I'm talking about."

Everything stopped for a moment as a waiter came running over to the table.

"Mr Rogers, please come quick! There is a phone call for you."

Shaggy froze. He wasn't sure he could leave both Dorothy and Sally alone at this table. He pulled the Waiter aside.

"I'll take it. Thank you. Please escort Ms Blake back to her table and bring them both a bottle of the finest wine on me. Be kind enough to do the same for Ms McKnight if you would." With that he turned and walked away, terrified of what he would return to. Even though the waiter and Douglas tried, Dorothy settled down into Shaggy's chair.

"So why are you here?" Dorothy offered an angry look at Sally, who just stared back.

"Because Shaggy invited me."

"And that required a kiss?"

"No, that was just because he felt like it."

"Yeah? Well it was nothing like our kiss."

"So? It was our dinner, did you have to intrude?"

Suddenly both women were aware of the stares they were getting from around the room. Dorothy was a famous race car driver, Sally a famous rock star. This news would travel. Sally quickly stood. She didn't want to put this kind of pressure on Shaggy right now.

"I'm leaving." With that she turned to the waiter. "Would you please tell Mr Rogers I'm sorry for making a scene?" When the waiter nodded and whispered something in her ear, she turned and ran, leaving a stunned Dorothy sitting at the table. Douglas had given up trying to get her to come back to their table and had left. So Dorothy was all alone when Shaggy walked back up. It took a moment for Dorothy to notice the look of shock planted on his face.

"Whats wrong Shaggy?"

"Its Scooby…He was hit by a car."

"Is Jasmine alright?" Shaggy was numb. He wasn't sure what to say. Then he noticed that Sally wasn't there. It was then that the waiter strolled up to relay her message into his ear. Dorothy was not happy about not being answered and repeated her question. "Is Jasmine alright?" She did not expect Shaggy reaction.

"YES! Scooby got hit pulling her out of the road. The Jones are there watching her right now. Now if you don't mind, Dorothy, I need to go see my best friend."

Shaggy stormed out, leaving a rather shocked Dorothy behind him.

As Shaggy reached his car, he sat down and cried. He had already lost Fred, Daphne, and Velma. Now there was a chance he could lose Scooby too? He really wasn't ready for this. Shaggy wasn't sure he would be able to handle that kind of a loss.

In fact, as he started the car and began to drive home, the only thing keeping him moving was the fact that if Scooby was gone too, Jasmine would need him. She only seemed to be able to sleep and relax these days when he or Scooby were around. Otherwise, the poor girl seemed too sad.

Well, except when she was at the Hex Girls concert.

Hex Girls. Sally.

Suddenly Shaggy's head fell. He was heartbroken. He'd planned a nice quiet night for himself and Sally and then between his revelation, Dorothy, and this, there was probably no chance he would ever see her again. Shaggy knew why it upset him so much to think about that.

He loved Sally McKnight.

Pity he hadn't admitted that sooner and told her that.

As Shaggy pulled into the driveway, he felt the car stop and turn off, though he did not feel entirely aware of his actions. There in the street, Shaggy could still see the car and the damage to the front of it. The door to the house was wide open, so Shaggy rushed in. He sprinted to the couch where Scooby lay. The Jones were hovering around as was the local vet. She was still examining Scooby when the Jones came over.

"I'm so sorry Shaggy. We don't know what happened. All we've heard was that he pushed Jasmine out of the way but couldn't get out of the way himself."

"It's ok Mrs. Jones. Thank you for coming over to take care of him and Jasmine." As he said that, Shaggy realized he did not see Jasmine around. Shaggy wasn't sure what it meant. "Where is Jasmine?"

"Your friend came and offered to take care of her while we got the vet. She said Scooby desperately needed help. We had to agree, he is such a great dog after all."

With that both Jones hugged Shaggy. Not knowing what else to do, he wrapped them both back into a hug. Then he knelt beside Scooby, carefully rubbing the unconscious dog behind the ears. Through his tears, Shaggy offered a sad smile. "Get well soon old buddy old pal."

With that he stood and turned to head in the direction of Jasmine's room. If it was someone who the Jones trusted with Jasmine, he really shouldn't worry, but he couldn't help it. Shaggy took a deep breath and rushed up the stairs in the direction of Jasmine's room.

As he reached the door, he listened for sounds coming from the other side. Hearing none, Shaggy carefully turned the knob in order to open the door. As it opened wide enough, he peered in. As he did, a smile crept over his face. Lying there in the bed, peacefully asleep, was Jasmine.

And her arms were wrapped around the neck of a sleeping Sally McKnight.


	11. Chapter 11: Daddy!

Shaggy woke to a ringing phone. He jumped to his feet and found the throbbing noisy object before quickly answering the call.

"Hello?" He grumbled, still trying to clear the exhaustion from his voice.

"How dare you!" The voice at the other end thundered back. Shaggy recognized it immediately.

"Hello Dorothy, how are you?"

"Shaggy, just stop."

"Ok, how dare I what?"

"How dare you go to dinner with that…that…woman. What about us?" Shaggy did his best to hide an annoyed sigh from the receiver.

"What about us Dorothy? We shared several lovely moments together, which I greatly appreciate. And I was honest and up front about liking you both." Shaggy could hear the seething breaths at the other end. Finally, there was a deep calming sigh.

"But Shaggy, what about Jasmine?"

"What about her? She is having a delightful time with Sally."

"What do you mean?"

"Well in case you missed it, Scooby was in an accident. I've spent the past day and a half at the Vet's waiting. Sally was sweet enough to take Jasmine out for today, to give the Jones a break and to distract her. That lovely little woman is rather attached to my mangy mutt as your father likes to call him." Shaggy was sick and tired of this possessiveness coming from the red-head. He had thought he loved her, but her reaction at the restaurant and the fact that even after the embarrassment, it was Sally who had shown up not only to show her concern for Scooby but for Jasmine? Well Shaggy's mind was made up.

"That's it Shaggy, we're through!" Dorothy screamed, hanging up on him before he could respond. Shaggy let out a tattered sigh when the doors of the waiting room suddenly swung open. Shaggy watched as a vet walked in and stopped at the reception desk before coming over to where he sat.

"Mr Rogers?"

"Yes sir?" Shaggy was trying and failing to hide the nervousness in his voice.

"Well it is good and bad news. We have done all we can for him and he is through the worst. That said, Scooby is a rather old dog so now all we can do is make him comfortable and see if he pulls through." Shaggy froze. After a second, he nodded and shook the vet's hand mechanically.

"Thanks doc."

VXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVX

Shaggy was sitting at the counter in hi kitchen when he heard the door swing open. He knew immediately who it was when he heard the voices.

"-and then we could go see the narwhals!"

"Narwhals, huh? And how do you plan on doing that missie?"

"Daddy can take us!" There was a pause before Shaggy heard a child whisper, which really seemed more like a shout. "He likes you know."

"And I like him too!" Shaggy smiled at Sally's response. The two turned the corner just in time to be shocked at seeing him sitting there. After a moments pause, Jasmine dropped the stuffer animal she was holding and ran over to him.

"Daddy, daddy!" She threw her arms around him and hugged him close while shaggy mouthed his question over to Sally.

"Daddy?"

"Her idea." Sally responded. "I think it is kind of cute." The rock star walked over and carefully pried the small girl off of Shaggy.

"Ok, my turn. Why don't you go put your new things away?" Shaggy grinned at this and watched Jasmine sprint off to go up the stairs. He turned back to find himself inches from Sally. Without a word, she hugged him tight and placed her own kiss upon his lips. There was a soft raging passion behind that kiss. And Shaggy smiled into it, returning the feelings in full. After a moment, the two broke apart, but did not let one another go.

"So how is Scooby?"

"Honestly? Not good. The vet says he is through the worst but being so old we will have to wait and see."

"And how are you?"

"Not good either. I've already lost Fred, Velma, and Daphne. Based on the phone call I got today, definitely lost Dorothy. I'm perfectly fine with that one, but it could mean trouble with Mr. Blake. Now I'm losing Scooby too? What's left?" This received a solid smack from Sally.

"Don't you dare. What's left? What about Jasmine? That little girl loves you. She has decided you are now her daddy and she adores you." There was a short pause before she went on. "And what about me? Am I not that important?" Before that thought could go on, Shaggy carefully gripped her face and crashed his lips with urgency into her. The kiss ended all too soon but it left Sally breathless and lightheaded nonetheless.

"Never think that. Please don't think that. I'm worried about Scooby and he is all I have left of the past. You and Jasmine, you are both something new and wonderful." Suddenly shaggy got a cocky grin on his face. "Besides, where do you want to be in my life?"

That earned him another smack, but this one was at least playful. Their moment was then interrupted by Jasmine coming rushing back into the room. She was so wound up. She was nearly bouncing off walls and talking about seeing different animals.

"-and after that, we can all go to the zoo again! Come one daddy, mommy took me to lunch, now its your turn."

Shaggy froze, feeling Jasmine pull and pull on his hand. He glanced over at Sally who was blushing incredibly hard. She looked away from his eyes. Listening to Jasmine talk, Shaggy smiled. With little else to do, he turned and swept the small girl up in his arms. He let his smile grow as he turned to face Sally. It was another moment before she finally met his gaze.

"Well now sweetheart, dinner sounds delicious. I don't suppose you would mind too much if 'mommy' were to join us, now would you?" Shaggy winked at Sally which only led the woman to blush even more. Of course her smile returned when Jasmine spoke next.

"Well of course silly, mommy's and daddy's are both supposed to take their kids out and I love her!"


	12. Chapter 12: They Wouldn't Dare

Shaggy smiled as he carried Jasmine out the door. Close behind him was Thorn. He had most of his happy little family.

That thought was sobering. Shaggy quickly shook it from his head as Jasmine threw her arms around his neck.

"Well where to Pumpernickel?" The little girl mumbled something into his neck. He turned to look at Sally. "Did you catch that?"

This elicited a laugh from the rock diva. "She said anywhere mommy and daddy are." Sally blushed as she admitted that to him. Truth be told, she didn't mind Jasmine calling her mommy. Thorn had been…well, having her own children would never be an option for her. But after the funeral, Sally had fallen in love with Shaggy…well, moreso than she had been. And in the process, she had met and fallen in love with the little bundle in his arms.

The three proceeded to go to a local carnival. It seemed to offer the most fun and Jasmine and Sally both had a blast. Shaggy appreciated their smiles. It was what he really needed. Finally they had come across a caricature booth. Jasmine was thrilled and asked if they could get a family picture. After looking at the puppy dog eyes from both Jasmine and Sally, Shaggy relented and began talking with the man. Once everything was set, they sat down for the picture.

Almost as if a last minute thought crossed her mind, Sally jumped up and pulled out her cell phone. There were some whispered words between her and the artist before she grinned and returned to Shaggy and Jasmine. As the artist began his work, Shaggy whispered to Sally.

"What was that about?" Sally gave him a coy grin.

"You will just have to wait and see."

Knowing he would not be getting any more from her, Shaggy decided to instead settle down on keeping Jasmine still for the photo.

There was quite a bit of work before it was done. Once the drawing was finished, Jasmine jumped off of Shaggy's lap and grabbed Sally's hand. The two rushed over to see the picture before Shaggy. As he approached, the two hid it from him.

"You have to wait, Mr. Rogers."

"Yeah daddy, mommy says you have to wait." This time Shaggy caught the sad look in Sally's eyes. A part of him desperately wanted to do anything he could to make it go away. But as soon as he caught it, the look faded to one of pure happiness as the rock diva looked at Jasmine. With that, she nodded and hid the picture form Shaggy.

With a smile, Shaggy picked up Jasmine in his arms and offered Sally his arm.

"Whatever you and mommy say sweetheart."

With that, the three left the carnival.

As they arrived at home, Shaggy received a phone call. He left his two ladies to go answer.

"Hello?"

"Hello, may I speak with Mr. Roger?"

"This is him."

"Hello Mr. Rogers. My name is Daniel Johnson and I am with Child Protective Services."

"Hello Mr. Johnson, what can I do for you?"

"Well Mr. Rogers, this is never an easy conversation. It has been brought to our attention that you have been taking young Jasmine Blake to concerts and leaving her in the care of a woman unapproved by her family, one Sally McKnight."

"Unapproved?!" Shaggy felt his ire rising.

"Mr. Rogers, please remain calm. Jasmine's family has officially called into question your ability to be her father. We are going to be visiting to see what we can learn. Please arrange to have Ms. McKnight there tomorrow at 10am as well as Jasmine and yourself. Thank you."

With that the line went dead. Shaggy was angry. He was pissed. Someone thought he couldn't take care of Jasmine? Worse, someone thought Sally was a bad influence? His anger was broken as Jasmine came running up to hug him. Sally stood in the door way watching.

"We heard your shout. Is everything ok?"

Shaggy looked over at Sally. He knew already he loved that woman. He also knew that no one could ever care more for Jasmine than Sally had over the past few days. Shaggy didn't care as much that they called him as bad parent as they had issues with Sally. Whoever had started all of this would regret it, he would make sure of that. Shaggy grinned at Sally.

"Miss McKnight, we have some things to talk about, if we may?"

The look on his face and his words made Sally look up with discomfort. That could not have been a good phone call.

VXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVX

There was a grin from the individuals sitting across from Daniel Johnston.

"I don't know what all this is about. Everything I can find seems to say that Mr. Rogers is an excellent parent to Jasmine. On top of that, Ms McKnight has nothing to indicate she should not be around the young woman. You sure you have information to indicate otherwise?"

The woman sitting across from him felt her smile falter for a moment before it shot back up.

"There is absolutely a reason that woman should be nowhere near dear Jasmine. We are, after all, just looking out for her."

Mr. Johnston looked contemplative for a moment. Then he lifted his phone.

"Who are you calling?"

"Mr. Riles. As the executor of the Jones estate, he has to be involved in this process."

This elicited a slight groan from the man sitting across from Daniel. They frowned at one another before Daniel continued pressing numbers.

"Well while you do that, we really must be going. Goodbye Daniel. Thank you for your help."

The two standing there turned to leave. As they reached the door, they heard Daniel call out to them.

"Mr. and Ms. Blake, please tell me there is a reason I am doing all of this to what seems to be a very happy family?"

The two Blakes simply looked back, a wicked grin crossing their faces before turning to leave the office.


End file.
